Code Lyoko: New Beginnings
by J-Rod67
Summary: Everything was normal. XANA was still attacking, the Code Lyoko Warriors were still fighting. But what happens when an old friend comes to visit, and XANA has leverage over one of the group? Can they still shut XANA down or not? T to be safe. O-A,U-Y. R&R
1. Chapter 1  Changes

This is my first fanfiction! I hope you guys like it, and I really would like tips on my writing. And also, if you can predict what is going to happen in the next chapter after each post, I will personally make you an OC in that chapter!:)

Anyways, I don't own Code Lyoko or any of their characters, yatta yatta.

Chapter 1

Aelita stepped into the cafeteria and brushed off the snow. It hadn't even been cold, up until today when all of the sudden it had started snowing, almost being labeled a blizzard. She was glad to be in the warmth. Glancing around, she found her friends in their usual lunch table spot.

"Hey guys, looks like it's a real blizzard out there. I don't think we'll want to make any trips to the factory today," she said sitting next to Yumi, and across from Odd, Ulrich and Jeremy.

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah, we wouldn't want to get stuck there. There's been no activity from XANA yet, so we are safe for the time being," he replied before taking a bite of his food.

Odd took a break from his food and smiled. "I guess even XANA thinks it's to cold out to do anything," he joked laughing. Every one at the table shook their heads, but Aelita gave him a smile. She thought it was funny, in the 'wow, Odd's so stupid' way.

They all went about talking about school and friends or sports. Well, everyone but Aelita. She merely went about eating her food. The only one who seemed to take notice was Odd.

He was still laughing from talking with Ulrich and Yumi, but his eyes narrowed when he looked at her. "Hey Princess, what's got you down? You're usually all smiles and laughs," he asked, actually concerned and serious. It was so unlike Odd, but as much as it warmed Aelita to know he would become serious just because there might be something wrong with her, she had to lie.

"Nothing, I just didn't get enough sleep last night," she told him. It was half of the truth, but definitely not all of it. Odd stared at her for a few, but eventually let it go. Aelita was grateful, because then at least she didn't have to lie to him more. He was one person she hated to lie to because out of all of her friends, she had been getting really close to Odd. After he had saved her from William throwing her into the Digital Sea, they had started to really hang out and talk. She trusted him more than any of the others, even Jeremy. Sure Jeremy may be the one who she used to talk to from Lyoko for hours, and who materialized her into the real world, but things have changed.

In fact, speak of the devil. Jeremy stood up and walked over to her. "Hey, Aelita, can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?" He held a hand out for her to help her up, and she nodded. She took his hand, curious as to what he would want to talk about. Lately, all he had wanted to talk about was how to get William back and the copy of Lyoko they had found. So, if it was about that, she really didn't want to hear it. She had her own problems to deal with.

They walked outside, and sat on a bench that was under an awning, but out of sight of the cafeteria. There was no one around, seeing as it was snowing really hard. Jeremy held one of Aelita's hands in his, and he looked up into her eyes.

"Aelita, I've been thinking for a while. I don't think that this-" his finger pointed at them, back and forth, "is going to work. I like you, I really do. But you're more of a best friend. You're the one person I can go to who is smart enough to talk to about computers and mathematics, and I know I can trust you. But we are more like siblings, and best friends, than boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't want to keep you tied to me any longer, because I think there are other people each of us would be better with. I don't want this to hurt our friendship, either. I always want to stay friends with you, Aelita."

Aelita was shocked. Sure, things hadn't been the same for a while, but she still really liked him. He was her first friend, and she cared about him a lot. But she didn't let him know any of that. She just nodded. "I understand, Jeremy. Its ok, we'll always be friends. I care about you, and I'll take you as a boyfriend, best friend, or brother," Aelita said, forcing a smile on her face. She took her hand from his and gave him a quick hug. With a flash of another smile, she turned and walked around the corner to the dorms, and as soon as she was out of sight, Aelita sprinted to her room. She didn't want to cry in front of Jeremy, but that didn't mean she couldn't break down in the privacy of her room. It seemed like her life was falling apart little by little. Her nightmares seemed to be coming true.

Odd glanced at Yumi and Ulrich when Aelita and Jeremy left. "What could Einstein want? They don't usually just go off on their own," he said, worried about his two friends. Sure, Odd wasn't quite ecstatic that the two were a couple, but he was still a good sport about it. Aelita had become probably his best friend besides Ulrich, and he didn't want to see her hurt. Not that Jeremy would, but still. Odd cared about Aelita, and not just as a friend.

Ulrich shrugged. "Probably making plans, or talking about something serious. You know, we don't have to share everything with each other. There are things about everyone's lives that need to be kept to themselves, Odd. Don't go butting in either. Just wait for them to tell us," he advised his friend. But Odd wasn't listening. Jeremy had come back into the lunch room, and his arm was absently rubbing the back of his blonde head, as if guiltily. Without a word, the boy genius sat down at their table, with Aelita no where to be seen.

Odd waited for a minute, seeing if Jeremy would say anything. But when he didn't, he had to ask. "So what was that all about, Einstein? And where's Aelita?" he asked. For once, he was being serious, and actually not stuffing his face and only worrying about food.

Jeremy glanced up, as if noticing them for the first time. He shrugged. "Aelita went back to her dorm room. I upset her," he said simply. He dropped his head, and his glasses slid down his nose, which he didn't even bother to fix.

"What did you do? Did you finally tell her you were in love with your computer?" Odd replied, dropping back into his jokester part. He was worried, but trying to lighten the mood was his thing. And the air sure was thick, so he figured they needed it.

Jeremy looked up at him, and Odd could have sworn that the boy was going punch him right there and then. But he just sighed. "No, I told her that we should just be friends. She's more like my best friend any more, than anything else. Besides, she's got a lot going on, and I can see that she is stressed enough without having to try and make something work that obviously wasn't," he explained. They all sat there in silence. The shock was evident on Odd, Yumi, and Ulrich's faces. They had all assumed that the two geniuses would stay together for a long time, seeing as how they were always together, even if most of the time was working on Lyoko stuff.

Odd stood up abruptly. "Well, Einstein, did you even think to check if she was alright?" he retorted. With that, he left them and a tray full of food, which was even more surprising to go find Aelita. Knowing her, she was up in her room.

He made his way there, and knocked lightly on her door. "Aelita? It's me, Odd. Are you alright?" he asked, his voice sincere. There was no answer, so he pushed on her door and found it to be open. Aelita was sitting down against the wall just inside the door. She had her knees up and her head down, leaving only her pink hair to be shown. Odd sat down next to her and put his arm around her. She lifted her head, and Odd smiled at her.

"Hey, the Princess has finally decided to grace me with her presence," he joked. Even though her eyes were red from crying, she still laughed softly. Odd always knew he could cheer her up with his jokes. "But seriously, are you alright? I heard what happened."

Aelita shrugged, but didn't say anything for a minute. "I'll be alright. I know what he said was true, and that he's always been more of a friend than a boyfriend, but still. It still came as a bit of a shock. I just need something to take my mind off of it for a while," she told him, her voice low and lacking its usual love of life feel. Odd smiled, knowing that this was why he had come up here. He could definitely cheer this girl up!

Odd stood up and held out a hand for her. "Do you trust me, Princess?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.


	2. Chapter 2 Memories

so I will try and update as much as I can. I just would really like some reviews, if only to say that you think it is good or bad:P I just want to know that people are reading! anyways, the one person who reviewed was close, so I'll put a chapter with an OC with your name in there, if you could send me your name, or something, that'd be great. Anyways, heres the chapter! Hope ya like it!

Chapter 2

"Do you trust me, Princess?"

Of course she did. If there was anyone she trusted it was Odd. He was her best friend, he trusted source, her brick wall, her Odd-ball. But was she ready to get back up? After a minute, Aelita made her choice. She pushed the pink hair out of her eyes, and took his hand.

"Yes, I trust you," she told him, being completely truthful. That made him smile even broader. Aelita didn't know what she was getting into, but she did know that he was there for her and wouldn't let her fall.

Odd pulled her up, first into a quick hug. Aelita hugged him back fiercely, tears threatening to spill over but she held him back. "Now Aelita, I know I call you Princess, but you're not going to start crying like an actual princess are you?" he asked jokingly. She smiled and shook her head. At least he was trying. Odd let her go, and grabbed her hand. He ran down the hallway and out the dorms, half pulling her as she tripped all the way.

Luckily, it was still dinner time and a Saturday, so they had a few hours. She didn't know where it was going, but Odd sure did. He pulled her into a laughing run through the snow. They headed out the gates of the school and suddenly, Odd stopped. Aelita waited expectantly. Odd walked back closer towards her, and leaned in her ear. She shivered at the contact, and was sure that her court jester of a friend was going to say something serious.

"Tag, you're it!" he said in her ear. His hand touched her shoulder and was gone in an instant. It took Aelita a few seconds to realize what was happening. When she finally looked up, he was halfway down the street, running like his life depended on it. She could still hear his laughter ringing. Without another thought, Aelita took off running towards him.

He seemed to be slow enough that she could still see him, but not enough for her to catch up. She ran down the street, forgetting about how cold it was, and focusing on the run. He took a left at a street she didn't know, and without any thought, Aelita followed him. Her muscles strained as they ran on. She hadn't run like this in years, and while it definitely would make her sore later, it felt exhilarating to just run, and focus on one thing and only one thing.

Odd took a right, and went straight into the park. Strange, but that was Odd for you. Aelita followed him in and got to the middle of the park, when she realized that she couldn't see him. In front of her was the bathhouse, and trees surrounded her. There were picnic tables scattered around, and a clearing for the slide and swings and a full playground for the kids. But out of the people there, she didn't see him.

Aelita turned around and around, looking for a face that wasn't there. Just as she was giving up hope, she felt a body up against her back, and hands covered her eyes.

"Let me lead, and don't open your eyes until I saw so. I promise I won't let you fall," a voice said in her ear. Aelita nodded and smiled. She was glad that Odd hadn't abandoned her. He gently nudged her forward, and she started walking. For the most part, Odd didn't push her any direction or forward, but he did steer her around objects. At one point there was a bench that she felt he barely got her to avoid. Finally, they came to a stop. "Now, keep your eyes closed until I say so." The hands left her face and she felt him step away from her.

Aelita did as she was told, and stood there awkwardly. She started whistling just so it wouldn't seem as weird to her. Finally she heard the word ok and opened her eyes. There was Odd, being the goofy him, sitting on a swing set. It was in a far corner of the park, surrounded by trees, and only one path out of there. The swing set looked old, but also beautiful. It was in almost perfect condition, but you could tell it was old. It didn't have any supports except for the upside down V at each end, and there were only two swings. Odd was sitting on one of them, with his silly grin etched onto his face. He went back and forth, but kept his feet on the ground.

"What is this, Odd?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged. "A little fun. I figured you would want to get your mind off of things, and so I figure the best way to do that was to go back to being a kid. And what's the best thing about being a kid? The swings!" he explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "I remember we used to have competitions to see who could swing the highest or who could jump the farthest. You need some fun back in your life, Aelita. I think you deserve that." He motioned for her to sit in the swing next to her, and she slowly walked over to it. After hesitating for a moment, Aelita sat down and waited for another minute.

Odd got up and went behind her. "Look's like someone's forgotten how to swing. Just like a princess to have someone else do everything for them," he joked. Aelita laughed and hung onto the ropes as Odd pulled back and then released her, and she went flying through the air. The wind pushed her short pink hair out of her face, and even though it was freezing out, she didn't mind it. She went back, and her hair flew back in her face, but before she knew it, Odd had pushed her forward again, flying towards the sky. The night sky was starting to come out, and Aelita could see the stars perfectly.

Suddenly, a memory came flooding back to her.

"_Higher, daddy, higher!" squealed a high voice. Aelita laughed as her daddy pushed her higher in the swings. She was so young, that it was the closest she could imagine to flying like a bird. All she wanted to do in that moment was swing so high she could reach the sky, and flap her arms like a bird to stay up. When her daddy stopped pushing her, she planned for the right moment, and jumped off, landing perfectly._

"_Good job, honey. Now, let's go inside. We have had enough fun for one day, and we need to work on Lyoko," said her daddy. Aelita sighed, but she ran towards him and took his hand. Even though it was the same thing every day, she loved this. Wake up, swing, Lyoko testing. For being only 10, she knew more than most would about computers and how to work everything, such as how to set the codes so that she could do just about anything she wanted in Lyoko. Even as she thought that, the codes flashed in her mind, perfectly etched into her memory._

Aelita gasped for air, as though she hadn't been breathing. She was back in her swing, but she wasn't moving any more, and Odd was in front of her, instead of behind her. He was staring at her, shaking her lightly. Slowly, she regained her hearing.

"Aelita! Talk to me, Aelita. What happened? Are you ok?" Odd was saying. Aelita tried to move, but apparently, that was slow in coming back. But she found the strength to talk.

"I'm fine, Odd. I just, well, I had a flashback. My memories came flooding back to me. It was overwhelming. I hadn't remembered it until now, and it was just a lot to take in, and it came on very suddenly," she explained slowly. Her voice shook a little, but Aelita strained to control it.

Odd didn't look like he was any less worried. In fact, he looked as though he was more. "Aelita, are you sure? I mean, one minute you were laughing, and the next you put your feet down and came to a stop, and your hands wouldn't let go of the ropes. You were literally frozen," he said, studying her.

Aelita nodded. "I'm fine. But, Odd, we have to get to the factory. I remembered something, and I have to do it before I forget!" she exclaimed, standing up. She staggered a bit, but Odd caught her. He put his arm around her waist.

"Whatever you say, princess. But you have to promise that you will call the others once we get there. For once, we aren't going to do anything rash," Odd told her. This was really strange, but Aelita knew that this behavior was just showing how much she had scared him. But once she did this, that would be worth it.


	3. Chapter 3 Threats

_So, I might have mistakes based on facts. I haven't seen all the seasons straight through in quite a while. I'm going based off of what I've read from the episode summaries, what I've seen, and what I remember. So, just tell me if I mess anything up, and I'll fix it! Anyways, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you guys are liking this! I made this chapter longer than the other two, so I'm hoping to get more viewers and reviewers! Odd says he'll shoot you with his arrow lasers if not._

_Anyways, I don't own Code Lyoko, because if I did, I would definitely not have Aelita and Jeremy together. _

"_Words" = Jeremy_

"Words" = Regular

"**Words" = Well, you'll find out. Just know there is a difference.**

Chapter 3

Aelita was acting really strange. One minute she was laughing and giggling, all of her worries and such gone from her mind, and the next she was frozen in place, her eyes staring at something that wasn't there. She had completely checked out of reality. It worried him, but not enough to ask her about it more than he had. She seemed fine now.

She grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the factory. Odd wondered what it could be about. Aelita was really focused, and she didn't want to forget whatever it was, so he was a little scared to ask her. But he did enjoy that she was holding his hand and not letting go. It seemed to be the most natural thing in the world. He jogged a little so they he could be at the same place as her, instead of being dragged and squeezed her hand.

Aelita shook her head, and glanced over at Odd. "What's going on Aelita? You need to tell me what you remembered," he said softly, his tone cautious but warm. She smiled, and it was the brightest thing he had ever seen, shining from ear to ear.

"I just had a flashback of a new memory. When I was younger, my father used to take me out to the swings at the back of our house. We would do it for hours. I would swing as high as I could, and jump off, landing it perfectly almost every time. And then, we would go back inside and work on the program for Lyoko. I used to have a photographic memory if I tried really hard. So I had memorized all the codes for Lyoko," Aelita explained. Odd gave her a questioning look, confusion written all over her face. "I know all the codes for everything in Lyoko. Every tree, rock, tower has a code. Every movement, power, and program has a code. I know them all. And that means I can make whatever I want happen with those codes."

Odd suddenly stopped, pulling her to a halt too. His eyes were wide, and his mouth had dropped a bit. But he had enough sense to pull out his cell phone and push the speed dial number 8. After the third ring he picked up. "Jeremy. I need you to get to the factory now. We are almost there. And bring Yumi and Ulrich too. We'll explain later." Odd shut his phone without waiting for an answer, and slipped it back into his pocket. After a moment more of silence, Odd pulled Aelita into a hug.

"You'll finally be able to free your father, get rid of any control XANA still has over you or him, and we'll be able to shut it down. You're a genius Aelita!" he exclaimed. They could have normal lives, and he could finally work up the courage to tell her how he really felt. Without another word, he was the one pulling her towards the factory now. They laughed and skipped for joy on the way. This could be the best day of their lives. XANA could be gone in a matter of hours, and they could get on with their lives.

They were at the bridge soon, even through the snow, and within a few minutes, they were at the super computer. Aelita immediately sat down, and started doing the computer-techy thing that Odd never understood. He saw a bunch of numbers and letters sliding across the screen, but that was all he understood. He didn't mind though, because this would fix everything.

The doors to the elevator opened just then, and Jeremy came through. He was all alone, but before Odd could ask he said, "Ulrich will be here in a little while. Jim caught him trying to sneak off the property, so he was getting out of it when I was just getting to the woods. Yumi had gone back to her house, but I called her and she said she would be here as soon as she could. Luckily it's the weekend, so we don't have to worry about classes. So what was so important?" He walked up to the other side of Aelita, and luckily, nothing seemed off between them. Odd let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He didn't know if those two would be alright, but now he knew that they would.

"I remembered all the codes to Lyoko. I know how to get this virus out of me, and I know how to save my father. I've got the most important codes locked in this file, but the one I'm thinking of has to be activated from inside Lyoko," she replied, still typing away. After another minute, she stood up and went to the elevator. "Odd, you need to stay here until Yumi and Ulrich get here. Right now, I need you all to be together, because you won't be powerful enough alone. Don't worry, I programmed myself just now to have some defenses. I was always meant to have them, but something in the programming went wrong."

Odd was about to protest but the elevator shut. He knew he couldn't argue with her, but still. He didn't want to, couldn't, lose her. But he turned back to Jeremy, who had now sat down at the computer. His glasses slipped down, and his jaw dropped.

"This is amazing. With these codes, we can control everything. It's better than I could ever come up with," he murmured, shocked. Odd smiled. That was his princess for you. She always came up with the bets ideas.

Aelita stepped into the scanner and Jeremy transferred her near a tower. Just as she suspected, XANA had sent plenty of monsters to stop her from putting in those codes. She smiled at that fact, because now she could defend herself. They stood in a line stretching from one end of the path to the other, completely sealing her off from the path to the tower she needed to go to.

"This is going to be fun," she stated, before she lifted her hands. A large pink ball glowed between her hands, and she launched it at the two kankralats that launched at her, the spider type monsters disappearing within seconds. Then came the hornets, to which she launched another energy field at, and they too disappeared. Aelita enjoyed this, even though she was gambling with her life. She was still connected to Lyoko, and if all of her life points went to zero, she would be gone forever.

One of the krabs got a shot at her, and her life points went down a bit, but she didn't worry about it. Behind her, she felt the slight tremor as her three friends dropped onto the ground.

"Hey princess, miss me?" came Odd's voice. She shot off another energy field at the nearest krab and it disappeared.

"_Stop joking around Odd, and help her get to the tower,"_ Jeremy's voice sounded. The three immediately got to work in blasting the rest of the monsters, but they were having some troubles. For some reason, they were more powerful. Instead of one shot to XANA's eye to kill them, it took them two or three each. Aelita worried about them. One of the kankralats shot at Ulrich and with one blast, he was devirtualized.

"Ulrich!" Yumi yelled as he was sent back. She was so distracted that she didn't see a hornet come up behind her and shoot her in the back and she too was devirtualized.

"_Odd, watch your back and Aelita's! She can't be devirtualized!" _Jeremy yelled into his mic. He was worried about them, anyone could tell that. There were still a few monsters left, and it was just the two of them.

Aelita took more caution than she had been doing before. She took cover with Odd behind a large rock. The monsters kept firing, but Aelita sent an energy field over her head, and she knew she collided with a couple of monsters when she heard Jeremy yell in triumph.

Odd glanced around and shot a laser arrow at one monster, which collided with a monster. Unfortunately, one also shot him back, and he was devirtualized.

Aelita knew what she had to do. She created a large energy field, bigger than she had ever created before. She shot it behind her and then ran for her life. This was it, and she knew it. The blast she sent created a hole in their forces, and she ran right through them. 50 feet. 20 feet. 10 feet. 5 feet. But that's where she was caught. One lone hornet waited for her.

"_Aelita look-," _Jeremy started, but he was cut off.

"Jeremy? Jeremy?" she called, pulling up an energy field and throwing it at the monster. It dodged the attack, but stayed near the tower. Aelita trembled when she realized that he had been cut off. He probably couldn't hear or see her, so she was all on her own.

Suddenly, she didn't know how, but she heard XANA's voice in her head. It was so mechanical, but so, evil, at the same time. Her surroundings grew fuzzy and everything froze.

"**Aelita, all alone are you? Your friends have abandoned you. But, you see, they are still here really,"** the voice said. Aelita fell to the ground and clutched her head. It was like a really powerful migraine. She looked up to see what XANA meant, and saw her friends floating in front of her. Their heads were tilted up, and their eyes were closed. They obviously were unconscious and couldn't hear her.

"**I have implanted a virus in all of you. When Jeremy scanned you into Lyoko, each of you had a virus implanted into your system, including you. And I can activate them at any time," **XANA said. Before Aelita could question XANA, her friends started groaning in pain and screaming. Their bodies glowed a bright yellow, and Aelita didn't know what was happening, but she knew that her friends were in danger and she couldn't let that continue.

"Stop! What do you want!" she yelled. Her friends stopped screaming and went back into an unconscious state, to which she was relieved.

"**You. I want you to do what I want. First off, you cannot punch in those codes. I would erase your memory, but some of those will be useful to me. I will send you messages on what to do soon. Now, I will release your friends. But remember I have the viruses implanted in your friends, and also you. Obey me, or pay the price," XANA said. **

Aelita knew that XANA had gone, and her surroundings cleared. Her friends had disappeared, and after a second of glancing around, she disappeared and reappeared back in the scanners. She was on the ground leaning against the walls of the scanners. Her head was pounding, and she couldn't get up. Distantly, she heard the doors to the elevator open and her friends poured out.

The first one in her line of sight was Odd, and his face made it clear that they had been very worried about her.

"What happened! We all went up to the screen to see how you were doing, but then you went off the grid! Jeremy did everything he could, but we couldn't hear or see you…we didn't even know if you would make it out of there and back to Earth. I-we were all really worried," he rapidly said, his breathing becoming shallow. This wasn't like the Odd she knew, but she liked this side of him. She smiled, but winced. Her head hurt from XANA.

He stopped talking once he saw her wince. Odd gestured to Ulrich and they both got on her sides and helped her up. Her arms draped over their shoulders, she realized how tired she was. They helped her up to the computer, where they sat her down. Aelita sat there in the chair, forgetting they were even there for a few moments. What would she tell them? They couldn't know the truth, so what could she tell them that they would believe?

"Aelita?" a voice asked, cautiously. It was Jeremy. As hurt as she had been this morning, the fact that they had broken up had completely been wiped out of her mind. To her, they were back to being just friends, best friends. She knew he could tell that there was something wrong, but he couldn't find out what.

Aelita smiled at them. "Everything's ok. I'm just a little worn out," she told them. Their faces didn't relax even though she was starting to sit up on her own, and her headache was a little less painful.

"What happened, Aelita? I mean, the screen just went blank, and then the next thing we know, you're popping up in the scanners. Did you get devirtualized?" asked Ulrich, obviously confused.

She looked at each of their faces, and decided that she couldn't tell them what really happened. Aelita couldn't let her friends get hurt because of her. "Those monsters blocked my path from the tower, and I couldn't fight them all. I tried, but I couldn't do it. I didn't get devirtualized, but I don't know how I ended up in the scanners. Last thing I remember, I was using my Energy Field and Creativity to create a force field around me, and then I ended up here," she lied, making it as convincing as possible. She hardly ever lied, and so it was very unlikely that they would suspect she wasn't telling the truth. Luckily, they seemed to accept her story right away.

"I wonder what happened with the screen. That's never happened before. I've always been able to see Lyoko on my computer and help you guys out. What if the supercomputer is somehow malfunctioning?" he asked the others, obviously very troubled by that fact. Aelita could practically read their minds. They were all thinking of Aelita, and how she would die if Lyoko was gone.

Aelita shook her head. "I bet it was XANA just trying to mess with you. I don't think there is anything to worry about. That's probably just what XANA wants," she told them. She felt better now that she was in the real world, and she had taken a few minutes to rest. Aelita braced her arms on the sides of the chair and slid down to the floor. Odd was by her side in a nanosecond, helping her steady. Once she got her feet under her, he smiled and let go.

"So nothing else happened? I mean, you didn't get the codes in, or anything?" Yumi asked her. Apparently they had been filled in on why they had been brought down to the factory, even when there was no attack by XANA.

She shook her head. "I don't think I'll be able to put in the codes," she said slowly, thinking ahead. What was going to be her excuse? "I'm missing one part from my memory, which happens to be the most important code: the one that will unlock the rest of them so that they are running and able to be used." They all stood there in shock for a moment, and Aelita knew that she had just crushed the happiness she had originally given them. She was going to kill XANA someday, even if it cost her life.


	4. Chapter 4 Bets

_Hey guys, I know its been a while, but I have like 4 fanfictions to write, and I like to write long ones for you guys, because I know when I read long stories, they always cheer me up. So I'd really like some more reviews, but I understand not everyone takes the time to. But if you have an idea of what you want to happen, I can include anything really. I haven't written beyond this chapter!:P So here it is!_

_I don't own Code Lyoko….I SHOULD, but I don't. _

Chapter 4

Odd

Aelita was acting really strange, that much he could tell. She was hiding something, but he didn't push. She had just gained memories and powers, and was left alone on Lyoko to fight off all of those monsters, so it was only natural she would be overwhelmed. Odd just hoped she would be ok soon.

They were all shocked she couldn't put all the rest of the codes in, but at least they still had them. But that wasn't his main priority. No, that title belonged to Aelita. "Come on, Aelita, let's get you home. We've had enough for one day, and I'm sure you need your rest," Odd said holding out a hand for her. She grasped his hand, squeezing his hand lightly and he helped her from the chair. She smiled at him, and he draped an arm around her waist and she put her arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks, everyone. We'll talk more about this tomorrow, I promise," Aelita told them to which they nodded. They all stepped into the elevator, ready to go back to school.

Yumi had separated from the group to go back home and the rest of the Lyoko Warriors made their way back to their dorm rooms. Ulrich and Jeremy went to their rooms, while Odd walked with Aelita to hers. She had gained some more strength the last part of the trip, so she didn't lean on him as much, but he kept his arm around her just in case.

He stopped at her dorm room and he watched her. She opened her door and leaned on the wooden frame. It was only 9 at night, so they still had another hour until curfew, so Jim wasn't out checking rooms yet.

"Are you sure you're ok? I mean, princesses have a tendency to faint, you know," he joked, smiling at her. It was the first time he had joked since dinner, and it brought a smile to her face. She seemed better, and the color had returned to her face. Not to mention the smile lit up her face and her pink hair seemed to brighten with just that small change.

She shrugged. "Odd, would you-I mean, could you, uh, come in for a little bit? I don't really want to be alone right now. We could just watch TV or something," she asked timidly. Odd smiled, inside and out, but inside he was screaming YES! All he really wanted to do was spend time with this amazing girl. Previously, she had only spent time with him with the others or between classes, so this would be their first time together just one on one. Aelita was one person that he could be real with, whether it would be serious or joking and she would accept him no matter what, and it was the other way around too. Some people didn't see it, but they were best friends. And nothing could ever change that.

He nodded. "Of course, m'Lady," Odd replied bowing, causing her to laugh. She stood aside, and led him into her room. To be honest, he really didn't pay attention to any of her room. Sure, he knew there was a bed, a desk, and a TV, but that was it. They were pink but other than that, the only thing in the room he saw was her. Odd saw her kind, soft eyes, how her pink hair was starting to flair in all directions from the humidity, how she clasped her hands behind her back as she led him into her room. It was those things that meant the most to him.

Aelita sat down in front of her bed and pulled Odd down with her. She turned on the TV, but in that next 45 minutes, they didn't glance at the TV even once. They talked about everything, from music, to food, to sports, and to anything that popped into their minds. The time they just flew by for them, like a cheetah would fly by a turtle. Luckily, Aelita's alarm went off at 9:45, letting her know it was 15 minutes until curfew.

Odd stood up and held out his hand to pull her up. She stuck her hand in his, and he used a little more strength than he thought, and she fell into him. Odd caught her in his arms, and his face was just a few inches from her. He looked into her eyes, and just stood there for a good minute. That minute was possibly the longest, greatest moment of his life. Unwillingly, he started to lean towards her a few unnoticed centimeters, but he pulled apart. He couldn't take advantage of her, and he didn't want to ruin their friendship. Maybe, in time, but not now. He needed to make sure it was what she wanted before they started anything. He did not want to hurt her in any way, because she didn't deserve that again.

They silently glided towards the door, but they hadn't let go of their hands. His right hand was still locked in her grasp, and he was happy that she hadn't let go. "Odd," she whispered, but it sounded like she was blasting through speakers. He turned to her, as if in slow motion, and raised his eyebrows in question. "Thank you, for everything. I really needed a friend today, and you were just perfect." She looked close to tears and without a thought he took his hand to her face and wiped away the wetness.

"Anything for a princess. Every fairytale needs a prince," he replied smiling. "But every fairytale also needs a best friend who jokes around." He added that last part and would let her figure out what he meant. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. Without another word he left for his room. The moment he was around the corner, he ran for his room. He opened the door and jumped on his bed, landing with a plop and a sigh.

Ulrich's face appeared in his line of sight, and you could see the curious expression on his face, obviously waiting for him to explain. When he didn't give an immediate answer, Ulrich asked, "Ok, two questions. One, what, or who, kept you out so late, and two, what makes you so happy this late when you normally would be sleeping already?" Odd sat up and leaned against the wall, his smile plastered to his face.

He took a deep breath. "Well, after you went back to our room, I walked Aelita to hers, and she asked me to stay with her," Odd explained, reliving those moments.

"What! What do you mean 'she asked you to stay'?" Ulrich questioned urgently. Ulrich looked generally interested, seeing as he was sitting on his bed, leaning in to Odd and his eyes were focused on him with intensity he hadn't seen for a while.

"Well, she said she didn't want to be alone, so I stayed with her for a while, and we just talked for the last 45 minutes in her room. It was really great," Odd answered, sighing once again.

Ulrich smiled like he was a 5 year old in a candy store. "You like her, don't you? You like Aelita!" he almost yelled. Odd gestured for him to quiet down, but didn't say anything for another minute. Did he like her? They were close friends, and she was amazing. Aelita was his best friend, and he knew more about her than almost anyone else.

After thinking about it, he realized that he did like her. He had just taken the feelings for brotherly love and protectiveness, but no. He liked her, and he liked her a lot.

"Yeah, I think I do," Odd replied, smiling wider as he came to terms with what he had just found out. "I almost kissed her, Ulrich. I almost kissed her tonight." He had forgotten that until then, but he could never completely forget about it. He had wanted to kiss her so bad, and let her know how he felt about her.

Ulrich gasped. "NO! Odd, you didn't. What did she say? What happened after that?" he asked increasing his speed. Odd held up his hand for quiet, and he relayed exactly what had happened from taking her out after Jeremy broke her heart to when he burst through their door. It was good to let everything out, and he knew exactly what he felt now.

"Ulrich, I don't want to ruin our friendship, but I really like her. She's the best girl a guy could ask for," he told him. Ulrich shrugged.

"It's up to you, Odd, but I would go for it."

Odd chuckled and Ulrich scrunched his eyes in confusion. "You're in the same position I am, Romeo. I know you like Yumi, so go ahead and ask her out already!" Ulrich shook his head, but didn't deny the fact that he liked her. "Fine, I'll make you a deal. If you asked Yumi out, I'll ask Aelita out. First one to do so doesn't have to clean the room or do any homework for two weeks. Deal?" After a moment's hesitation, Ulrich nodded and they sealed the deal.

Aelita

The moment Odd left, Aelita slumped against the wall inside her room and slid to the floor. She was so confused, about everything. There were so many feelings inside her and she couldn't sort them out. She was sad because of Jeremy, angry because of XANA, happy because of Odd, but they were all getting mixed in her brain and her heart. One thing was clear though: she needed someone to talk to.

Aelita pulled out her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart: Yumi. She was the one person that she could talk to about these things. Yumi picked up after a few rings, and said she would be over in 10 minutes and she would stay the night. Just 2 minutes before curfew, Yumi arrived, a bag holding all of her stuff in hand and they sat on the bed.

"Ok, spill it." Aelita told her everything that had happened that day starting when Jeremy had broken up with her and ending when Odd had left. She of course left out the part where XANA had talked to her and what had happened there, but Yumi understood that what happened in Lyoko was a sore subject still, so she seemed to leave it alone.

Yumi's mouth widened when she mentioned Odd and the almost kiss. "You like Odd!" she almost screamed. Aelita covered Yumi's mouth with her hand and told her to quiet down. Once Aelita was sure she would be quiet, she lifted her hand. Yumi smiled broadly at her. "So he almost kissed you? Wait, why did he stop? Odd is such a lady's man, it seems like he should have kept going."

Aelita shrugged, but she had wondered also. She was glad he hadn't though. It seemed enough that now she knew she like him as more than a friend. Right then, she was too vulnerable to really open up to much, seeing as how her friends lives were at stake. Inside, Aelita was just waiting for what XANA would ask her to do. Whatever it was, she would have to comply or forfeit her life and the others lives. "With me, Odd is a different person than he is around everyone else. He still jokes around, but he's nicer and sweeter and he always asks how I'm doing. He isn't like that with everyone else," she explains, her voice unwillingly softening as she thought of all of the time she had spent with him. Sure, most of it had been with the others, but they would still talk like their friends weren't there.

"Well, have you told him you like him? I mean, yeah, you almost kissed him, but still! You need to tell him!" she declared, making it clear that she would make Aelita do it, and soon.

"Well, look at that, Yumi is giving me advice that she can't follow herself! You and Ulrich are perfect for each other, but you haven't told him, have you? You guys are always flirting and both of you get jealous when either of you talk to another guy or girl, it's so obvious!" Aelita joked, smiling. "You guys are like an old married couple; except for neither of you have the guts to say that you actually like each other."

"Because we don't! Ulrich and I are just friends.." Yumi said, but trailed off when she saw Aelita's glare. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but that doesn't mean anything unless he likes me."

Aelita rolled her eyes. "You are so _blind_! Of course he likes you! Everyone knows it except for you," she responded, sighing. "Ok, you want to make a bet?" Yumi raised her eyebrows in question and Aelita want on. "I bet that Ulrich will ask you out in the next two weeks AND before Odd would ask me out."

Yumi smiled, and Aelita could tell she was confident that she could win. "Ok, and I bet the opposite, that Odd will ask you out in the next two weeks and before Ulrich would ask me out."

Aelita nodded and added, "The person who loses will take the other out to eat and a movie, and tell Ulrich or Odd that they like them." She smiled as Yumi cautiously nodded. This was going to be a fun two weeks, because there was no way that she would lose this bet.

_So! Who do you think is going to win the bet? What do you think XANA will make Aelita do? Will Jeremy move on from Aelita? Why do I keep asking questions? See some answers next time on CODE LYOKO: NEW BEGINNINGS!_


	5. Chapter 5 Help

_Hey, so I really am not a fan of this chapter. It's kinda boring, but a new character pops up! He is totally mine, so don't copy him. If I get a fact wrong, I'm sorry, but I haven't actually seen the series in a wihle, so I'm going off of what is on websites. Anyways, here ya go!_

_I don't own Code Lyoko….I SHOULD, but I don't. _

Chapter 5

Odd

First thing in the morning, Odd went down to Aelita's room. Well, first thing in the morning for him meant about 15 minutes before breakfast would start, which for him was early. He was still yawning when she opened the door. But that was quickly wiped off his face with a smile.

"So, Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up I see," he said, smiling at her. She looked at him and rolled her eyes. "I thought I'd walk down here and see how you were doing. If you didn't come for breakfast, I'd have no one to give me their extra bagel!"

Aelita laughed and punched him lightly in the arm when she stepped out into the hallway. "I'm fine, Odd. Just a little sleep for the princess is all that was needed," she replied laughing. He shrugged and pulled her towards breakfast.

"Come on, slow poke! I'm gonna miss the chance to get 3rds before breakfast is over!" he yelled as they ran towards the cafeteria. She laughed and ran with him, their hands still fastened together. It was cold outside, and Aelita had forgotten her jacket and she was shaking enough that he could feel it through their hands. He turned back to her and took off his jacket for her. He didn't mind the cold, and it was only for a little bit.

They walked into the already crowded cafeteria just as breakfast was being served. The line went by fast, but mostly because the two were laughing and joking all the way up to get their food. It was strange for Odd, to be in such a good mood this early in the morning, but with Aelita, nothing ever was normal.

They sat down at the table, where their friends were in discussion about the new teacher that had been hired.

"-eard that she was really cool and laid back because she was only in her early thirties, and she has a son our age. They are supposed to be moving in today and starting school tomorrow. Apparently Miss Otte got fired, and they needed an immediate replacement," Yumi was telling them. Odd couldn't be happier, because Miss Otte was such a hag and she always got onto anyone who was talking at all, and she was the strictest teacher, but also the most ridiculous. She wouldn't let anyone go anywhere in her class, even if they were sick.

"So she's taking over all the Science classes? Cool! I didn't do my homework for that class. I mean, come on, when am I actually going to need to know anything in science!" Odd commented, picking up his sausage and eating it, making his words a little muffled at the end.

Ulrich nodded. "Yeah, her name's Miss Gray, and she apparently graduated from one of the top schools in the U.S. I think it might have been Harvard," he added, having just overheard all the gossip from Sissy, who only knew because of her dad. Speaking of the devil, there she was, coming by their table.

"Yeah, and her son's off limits losers. From what I've heard, he's pretty cute. His name is Zane, and he's mine, so back off," she smirked, and walked off. They just watched her walk off and busted out laughing. It wasn't a good day until they got called losers by Sissy. Odd felt Aelita stiffen beside him, and he turned to her, but she went back to normal, although she kept her eyes on her tray.

"Hey, princess, am I that boring that your food is better than me?" he teased tilting her chin up. She shook her head and smiled at him, and seemed to be better, but still distracted. Odd put it off as to what had happened to them yesterday, so he didn't push it but took her hand and squeezed her hand gently before letting go again. He was determined to get her to like him so he could win this bet.

Aelita was in shock, although she tried not to let it show. She hadn't heard that name in over 10 years. And it wasn't one she wanted to hear, not now. And just as she had denied that it was the same person she knew, he walked by the window of the cafeteria. She couldn't believe it was him, but he looked similar to back when they were little.

Abruptly she stood up without a word and raced outside. He hadn't gone very far, dropping his bag like the dork he was, and it gave her a chance to stop a few feet in front of him.

"Z-Zane?" her voice cracked. His head snapped up, and Aelita saw his eyes widen. She knew he recognized her, because who else had pink hair besides her mother? He left his things on the ground and stood up, obviously confused.

"Aelita? Is that you?" he asked, stepping closer to her. She smiled at him and nodded hesitantly. Even as confused as they both were, they both stuck their arms out and hugged each other. She stepped back and took a good look at him. He had changed since she last saw him, but that was no surprise. He still had brown hair, although it was shaggier, and darker, his green eyes had brightened, but were more serious than they had been, and he was almost half a foot taller than her now. But he was still her Zane, her best friend. "Aelita, what happened to you? I mean, all those years ago, you and your father just disappeared. My mom couldn't, or wouldn't, tell me anything."

She didn't even know if she could answer, because this was just such a shock to see him. More than once she had thought about Zane, and how much she missed him. But she hadn't thought about him since Odd had started to hang around her more. "I-Zane, oh gosh, there is so much to tell you. I can't ev-even believe its you! Out of all of the schools, you came here," she managed to say before she hugged him again. He just laughed and then she laughed too. He took her hand and led her over to a bench behind the building where they sat down, facing each other.

"So tell me, Lita, what happened?" he asked, using her old nickname. Aelita smiled at him, and started to tell him about how her father took her to Lyoko, where she had been trapped on there until Jeremy had found her, and eventually come up with a code to virtualize her onto the real world, which was great, until she had found out she had a virus, and finally, even though she didn't know why she did, Aelita told him about what had happened with XANA.

"Wow, Lita, you've been through a lot. I mean, I didn't even think to ask about Lyoko. My mom just acted as if it had never existed, and we had never been on Lyoko or worked on it. So, what are you going to do?" he asked. Aelita couldn't believe that he was back to acting like no time had gone on between the last time they had seen each other.

She shrugged, letting her shoulders sag. "I don't know. I can't let my friends get hurt. You have to help me, Zane. I can't let them know about it, but I can't lie to them either. Promise me you'll come to Lyoko, like we used to?" she pleaded, puckering her lip in a puppy dog face. He laughed and rolled his eyes.

"You know I could never say no to that face. Just tell me what I have to do, and I'll do it," he replied.

Aelita smiled now. "I just need to use you as a cover if we ever need to go to Lyoko for XANA, at least until I come up with something to do about it. I'll take you to the Principle's office and offer to show you around your first week here, and maybe then, I'll 'help you with homework', so if we have to disappear, it won't look weird," she told him, thinking about what she might have to do. "I can't let my friends know about our past though. It's too complicated, and too much to explain to them. In time, I'll tell them, but not now."

Zane nodded, and she knew he understood. There were things she hadn't told her friends about her past, things she didn't want to reveal to them just yet, especially since she hasn't figured it all out yet.

"Well, it's really cold, so let's go to the principle's office. My mom is already in her room on the campus unpacking, so we don't have to worry about her just yet," Zane told her, picking up his bag.

The pair talked all the way across campus, catching up from what had gone on over the years. It was like they hadn't even been separated. The only thing that was bothering her was her friends. They would surely question why she had gotten up so suddenly, and disappeared. Aelita would just have to make up an excuse, like she had been about to get sick or something.

They picked up his schedule, and it mostly matched Aelita's. Before she had been virtualized, she had been older than him, but now, he was the same age as her at 15, so that made it much easier.

Aelita led him to where his dorm room would be, but she knew that she had to get back to her friends.

"I'll see you later, Zane. I'll come back over tonight, but until then, just try and get to know the school and the people," Aelita said, walking out of his room. He nodded, and she walked down the halls before turning around. He was just about to close the door before she called back to him, "But watch out for Sissy! You'll know who I'm talking about!" He laughed and closed the door.

Aelita made her way back to the cafeteria, where he friends were standing just outside of it. She waved to them and smiled, but dropped her smile at their confused faces.

"Aelita, what happened back there?" asked Jeremy, obviously confused as to why she would just bolt out of breakfast.

She shrugged, and replied, "I wasn't feeling well for a little bit, so I went to the bathroom. After a little bit, I started to feel better so I thought I would come back and see if you guys were still here." That seemed like a good enough lie to her, and hopefully they wouldn't question it.

"Well, Princess, if you are feeling ok, we were thinking of going to the movies today," Odd told her.

"Yeah, and Jeremy even invited this girl from his computer class," Ulrich added, elbowing the genius in the side. He blushed, but looked at Aelita with concern in his eyes. She knew he was asking for permission, since they had just broken things off. She smiled at him, sincerely, and nodded slightly, to which he visually let out a breath.

"Yeah, let's go. A movie will be good for us, if XANA is going to leave us alone for the weekend," Aelita responded, internally cringing at her own mention of the computer virus she had come to loath to no end. They all agreed to meet back at the gates in an hour. Yumi went back with Aelita to her dorm room so Aelita could get ready, and they joked and talked.

"I still haven't forgotten our little bet, Yumi," Aelita mentioned as she pulled on a jacket over her clothes.

Yumi rolled her eyes and sighed. "Of course you haven't, but what if neither of them asks us?" she brought up, raising an eyebrow. Aelita chuckled, having already thought of it.

"Then we ask them," she replied. At least this was one thing that could keep her mind off of the impending requests XANA would make of her. She already knew that the movies would be a great place for her to get Ulrich to ask Yumi out. How, was the question.

_What is going on between Zane and Aelita? Will Aelita be able to overcome XANA with his help? What is Aelita's plan? All to be revealed next time! Well…maybe not ALL, but certainly it will be in the making of being revealed. _


	6. Chapter 6 Friends

_Hey, so it took me a long time, but I finally finished! So, I really would like to say more to you, but I haven't gotten many comments…it makes me sad. I really would like to know what you guys think. It would really help to know where to go with this story. But if you don't, I'll probably end this story earlier than I would have. But anyways…._

_I don't own Code Lyoko….I SHOULD, but I don't. _

Chapter 6

Odd

The group came out of the movie, laughing loudly. They had seen The Three Stooges, and it was just what they had needed. It was some good, old group bonding time. They even decided to go and get some ice cream afterwards and walk around downtown, since it had warmed up considerably since just a little while ago. Funny how the weather changed so suddenly. Yumi, Ulrich and Odd were laughing about the movie still, while Aelita just smiled and watched. Jeremy and the girl he liked, Nicole, had gone back to school, saying that they wanted to try out a new computer program. Odd was glad that the boy genius had found a girl who was just as into computers and smart as he was. As smart as Aelita was, they weren't right for each other. The princess he knew liked to have fun, and that was one thing Jeremy was not good at, and something that Odd excelled at.

They made their way downtown to a local ice cream place, and Odd turned to Aelita. "Well, my fair lady, what flavor shall thou serve thee?" he asked, putting one hand behind his back and sweeping the other out while bowing. She giggled and curtsied back to him.

"Thy shall get thee any flavor thou shall want to serve," she answered him in a fake, medieval voice.

Yumi and Ulrich looked at them like they were crazy. "You know, Aelita, I think Odd's craziness is starting to rub off on you," Yumi commented, smiling. Aelita shrugged but she smiled back.

"And is that such a bad thing? A little crazy in your life is good for you. Just like a little chocolate is good for you," Odd retorted, acting offended. In reality, he thought that Aelita was a very happy, crazy girl, but she had always been the calm one because she had been around Jeremy. With him, she was a completely different person. But then again, so was he. Around her, he wanted to make her laugh, but also be serious. She brought all the best parts out in him.

"Uh, Odd, chocolate is never good for you. Only if you want to get fat," Ulrich commented. Odd shrugged. He really didn't care about what he ate, as long as it tasted good. Chocolate was apart of his daily routine, so to him, it was good for someone.

"Yes, because Odd is so fat," Aelita added in. "I mean, he just blunders down through the hallway like a sumo wrestler." She acted like a big fat guy and pounded on the ground, having a serious face put on. But halfway through, she busted out laughing. Odd couldn't help but laugh with her, and pretty soon they were all laughing. Odd wiped the tears from his eyes as he grabbed his and Aelita's ice cream cones from the waitress.

Aelita took it from him and her smile got bigger. "You knew my favorite flavor, chocolate cookie dough," she whispered. Odd felt his heart clench, and it was a new feeling. Yes, he knew he liked her. But it was new that he liked her this much. When he liked a girl, he very rarely liked them so much that he would constantly think about what they thought or what they liked. It was a definite sign that Aelita was special. Now, he just had to ask her out before Ulrich asked Yumi out so he could win the bet, and then Ulrich would have to ask Yumi out anyways. When and how to do it was the question.

He nodded and showed his ice cream cone to her. His matched hers, because this was one thing they had in common. "Well of course, we like the same flavors. We are 'cousins', you know," he replied, nudging her in the sides. Aelita's face dropped for a second.

"You know, we really need to fix that little, uh, mishap. I have my memory's now, and I think I'd like to go back to being Aelita Schaeffer," she mentioned, taking a lick of her ice cream. Odd was shocked, but inside he was leaping for joy. If she wanted them not to be cousins, then that might mean that she liked him too. Cousins couldn't date after all.

But how were they supposed to suddenly not be cousins? "I agree. Maybe, we could have been step cousins, and my aunt divorced dad or something, so we aren't cousins anymore," Odd replied. She nodded, and he immediately felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. They would just spread that around the school, which would spread fast. Especially if they got it to Sissy somehow.

Ulrich and Yumi had come back from getting their ice cream and were smiling ear to ear. "And what are you two love birds smiling about?" Odd asked, hoping it wasn't what he was thinking it would be.

The pair's faces reddened to a tomato color, and he saw Ulrich shake his head a little bit. "We are not love birds!" they shouted together. Ulrich continued, "We were smiling because we just heard that there were going to be fireworks tonight in about a half hour." Odd smiled, and he knew this would be his chance to ask Aelita out. The fireworks would be a perfect setting. It was only around 8 o'clock, so they would be able to stay out for another hour before they should head back. Aelita could be his by the end of tonight.

"Cool, let's stay then. Oh, that reminds me of a joke!" Odd commented, smiling. His friends shouted no, and that shut him up. They all knew his jokes were hardly ever funny, so he understood. He just liked to bug them and tease them.

"Hey, Ulrich, you want to come with me to go get a blanket?" Aelita asked, smiling mischievously. Odd didn't know what that look on her face was about, but he just shrugged it off. Ulrich nodded, and the two went to a nearby shop to ask to borrow a blanket.

Odd watched them until they disappeared from his sight, and then he turned to Yumi, with a smirk on his face. "So, Yumi, you and Ulrich. And don't deny it, I saw the looks on your faces when you came back. He hasn't asked you out yet, has he?" he asked, nudging her. He partially asked for his sake, and partially for hers. He wanted his best friends to be happy, and he could tell that would make them happy. They were practically already a couple; they just needed to make it official.

Yumi blushed and shook her head. "No, he hasn't, and I'm sure he won't," Yumi said firmly. "But let's move on to you and Aelita over there. I see how you look at her. You know, you should ask her out; tonight." Odd was in shock. If Yumi was telling him this, then Aelita had to have mentioned something to her.

He stood there for a moment, openmouthed, before he found the will to speak. "Do-Does Aelita like me? I mean, really like me, not just as her friend?" he asked, afraid to hear the answer. On one hand, if she liked him, then he would be immediately the happiest guy on earth and do everything he could to make her happy. But on the other hand, this could also mess up their friendship. If anything went wrong, then there would be nothing that could fix it. But Odd decided not to think of that, because he wasn't an over thinker. No, he just liked to go with the flow.

Aelita and Ulrich chose that moment to come walking back up, blanket in hand. Odd almost sighed, but he held it back. He saw Yumi move her head slightly, and saw she had nodded. He could have jumped up ten feet right there and then, but he had to hold it in.

The group walked over to a nearby park, and chose a spot where the trees opened up so they could see the sky. Odd was surprised they were doing fireworks now, since the weather was so crazy, but it seemed from the rumors that it was a last minute thing.

He laid down the blanket, and gestured for Aelita to lie down next to him. She seemed to be looking at her watch a lot, but Odd chalked it up to not wanting to be late for curfew. Her smile was so sincere that he knew she really wanted to be here, with him, sitting under the stars.

He stared at her beautiful eyes, and she stared back. For a moment, they just lied there, totally comfortable not saying anything. He put his head on his outstretched arm and she copied his pose. They stretched out across the blanket, and Odd was so glad that she was here and she wasn't saying a thing. She was being completely herself and comfortable. It was just the way they were together. How could he even think that they wouldn't be friends if they became a couple? They were friends first. Best friends. He heard Yumi and Ulrich talking beside him, but he didn't try and focus on it like he usually did. For now, he was totally focused on Aelita.

Finally, she spoke. "Odd, about last night…" she started, but he put a finger to his mouth.

"Aelita, you are my best friend, and nothing could ever change that. I know so much about you, and you know so much about me. We are close already, and I want you to know I would never hurt you," Odd started. He paused, and took a deep breath. "Aelita, I like you. More than just a friend. I think, that, uh, I'd like us to be just that: us." Odd looked at her, and he saw so many things happening. Her eyes watered and shown with so much intense emotions, all mixed together. She seemed to be happy and sad, longing and reserved. She shook a little bit, but she didn't seem to be cold.

It took an unbearably long minute for Odd to get his answer. He now knew what people meant when they said the longest minute of their life. This minute had seemed like hours. But finally, she nodded. "I like you, so much Odd. I can't even describe how much. You were my best friend at first, but things have definitely changed. You're my best friend, confident, crush, and we are just so…comfortable. I can be myself around you, as well as be someone who never appears in front of anyone else. Yes, Odd, yes. I want there to be an us," she replied smiling from ear to ear. He took her hand and squeezed it. Bringing it to his mouth, he planted a gentle kiss on the top of her hand. He saw her blush and it made him smile even wider.

"You know, this doesn't mean that I won't bug you all the time or ask you to help me do my homework," he commented, raising an eyebrow. She shrugged.

"I will help you anytime, with anything you need," Aelita told him. Odd could just tell that she meant every word that she said to him. He was going to say something else, but the first fireworks started, and he sat up to watch them explode.

Aelita jumped but he heard her make an excited noise. This was probably the first fireworks she had seen in a long time, if ever. He wanted to make it special for her. Odd grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers. She glanced over for a second, surprised, but she didn't pull away. In fact, she squeezed his hand for a second before turning back to the fireworks. Odd followed her lead, but his thoughts were totally preoccupied by the girl who he was connecting with through a little bit of skin contact.

The fireworks lasted for probably fifteen minutes before they had a great finally, but Odd didn't remember any of it. All he could think about was that he had just asked Aelita out, and she had accepted. This was possibly the greatest night of his life.

He and his friends stood up, brushing the blanket off so they could return it. Aelita smiled at him but let go of his hand. Odd understood. She probably wasn't ready to publicize their relationship just yet. He was willing to wait however long she needed.

Aelita glanced out and then snapped her head around to look at Odd. "What time is it?" she asked urgently. He shrugged and checked his watch.

"Uh, just after nine, why?" Odd answered. She squealed, looking panicked.

Aelita turned away and started to step towards the school before she turned back. "I, uh, just forgot that I had to go do some homework that I haven't even started. I'll see you tomorrow ok?" she explained. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and then took off running into the night. He blushed but quickly got over it as she disappeared. What the heck?

Yumi walked over to him and looked at him curiously. "What was that all about?" she asked, sounding concerned. He brought his hand up to his cheek and not for the first time was utterly confused.

"I have absolutely no idea."

Aelita couldn't believe she had forgotten! She had been so wrapped up with Odd that she hadn't given a thought to Zane or her problem with XANA. It was really irresponsible of her, but she had just been so happy that nothing had mattered. But now she had to focus. If she could get out of this then she would never have to worry about XANA again. She literally sprinted all the way back to the school and skipped up the steps, skidding to a halt just in front of Zane's door. She was still heaving in oxygen when his door opened to see her bent over, gulping in air.

"Out of shape, are we Aelita? And here I thought you would be just as athletic as you were back then," Zane commented, smiling. She stood straight and pushed him. He just laughed and stood aside, gesturing for her to come in. There was about a half hour until curfew, so they had to be quick, or she would be stuck in his room all night. They talked about their day, and it was just like old times. "Oh, and I just happened to meet Sissy today. I didn't know there was a level of stuck up that high."

Aelita laughed. There was no one who was worse than Sissy and she knew Zane wouldn't like her from the very start. "Yeah, Sissy definitely breaks quite a few records," Aelita said, smiling. But the smile disappeared in an instant when she remembered why they were there.

"Lita, it's going to be ok. We'll figure things out," Zane said pulling her into a hug. She nodded into his shoulder and pulled apart from him.

"Thanks, Zane. I think we should go to the factory. Quite a few things have changed since we last went to Lyoko and I want to get you introduced to the place," Aelita said pulling him towards the door. She glanced outside and saw the back of Odd's head, and just before he turned around, she jumped back inside Zane's room.

Zane gave her a questioning look and she sighed. "My b-friend, Odd, and Ulrich are out there. I can't let them know I'm going to the factory, especially with someone who isn't in the group," Aelita explained, thinking of her options to get to the factory. Why didn't she think of the fact that Odd and Ulrich's room would be right next door?

"B-friend? So little Lita's got a boyfriend, hmm? I want to meet this guy!" he almost yelled. She laughed and put her hand over his mouth, quieting him down. He pulled her hand off of his mouth and laughed. "Ok, ok, I'll be quiet. Can we escape out the window then? It will be like when we were kids, always going out the window to meet up with each other. Except, this time, let's not get caught."

Aelita nodded and smiled. She remembered those times now, and couldn't help but laugh at them. Those were some of the best times of her life, and she missed them dearly. They walked over to the window and propped open the window. Luckily, he was on the second floor, so it wasn't much of a drop, but it was still a long way down.

She peered over at the ground and silently gulped. Heights had never been a fear, but the jump could really hurt if she fell or jumped the wrong way. Zane put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be ok. Here, I'll go out first, and catch you," he offered smiling sweetly. Aelita couldn't believe he was the one who was offering to go down first. She had been bigger than him in the past, but now, he was taller than her by at least 4 inches, and he was definitely more muscular. Without another word, he sat on the window seal and in a flash, he was gone.

Aelita jumped towards the window, afraid he had fallen, but in reality, he was crouched on the ground, landing perfectly. He stood up and gave thumbs up to her. She laughed and he gestured to jump. Swinging her leg over the ledge, she perched outside, gasping at the height.

Zane seemed to sense her fear and reached up to her. "I'll catch you, I promise. You know I never break my promises Lita," he whispered up to her. She nodded, remembering it was true. There hadn't been a time when he hadn't come through with his promise. With a leap of faith, literally, she pushed herself off. For one scary second, she thought that she could fall and die right there or at least break something, but a pair of strong arms surrounded her waist and she let out a sight of relief. After a second of being steadied, Zane lowered her to the ground and let go. He looked at her, concern in his eyes and was very serious, making sure she was alright. But he couldn't hold it and bust out laughing.

She tried to quiet him down, but ended up joining in with him. There wasn't really anything that funny, but they were just laughing at the fact that they were so quickly back into their normal routine. After a few tear filling minutes, they finally quit laughing and Aelita managed to pull him towards the exit of the school. With a quick glance around, they ran to the forest and she pulled him running through the woods towards the sewer entrance.

When they arrived, Zane halted to a stop. He wrinkled his nose and looked at her like she was crazy. "The sewers? We never used this when we went to the factory before," he complained. She shrugged.

"My friends found this path and it's a shortcut there, as well as the fact that no one will ask why a pair of kids are out this late at night," Aelita explained, already climbing down to the bottom. She jumped the last step and looked up for him to follow. With a glance around, Zane climbed down after her.

"Why do I let you drag me into these kind of things?" Zane asked rolling his eyes. Aelita laughed.

"Oh you know this is you're favorite thing to do. After all, you used to call yourself Captain Adventure," she retorted. He blushed, obviously embarrassed about a moment of weakness when they were little. Aelita recalled the day where he had only wanted to be addressed as that and wouldn't respond to any other name.

They talked throughout the trip to the factory, reminiscing about their years together. He also talked about what had happened to him since she had disappeared. Apparently, he and his mother had moved back to the United States for a bit, and he had gone to school there for a while. But he had gotten an offer to train with a professional musician. Ever since he was little, all Zane had wanted to do was sing and play the piano. And now, he was training with a professional, and had already recorded one song, which had been a big hit, or at least for him. Also, his mother was working on a big project with some partner and had come back to also be a science teacher here so that he could get free tuition.

Aelita was really happy for him, because it sounded like his life was going pretty well for him. "I can't believe your music dream is coming true. I always knew you would do it," she told him, nudging him in the arm. Before he replied, they reached the entrance to the bridge and she climbed up to feel the wind blowing against her skin. He climbed up after her, and even in the dark she could see the factory. "Welcome back, Zane."

He smiled, but it wasn't a real smile. Aelita could tell that this was one place he had thought he would never see again, and it was probably quite a shock to see it so run down. Personally, Aelita wanted to try and fix it up, but that would only look like something was going on there and someone would come to investigate. She hadn't even suggested it because it wasn't even a possibility.

Zane stood there in awe of his past home, and then, without even waiting, walked into the factory. He walked only on his instincts moving him forward. Before he knew it, he had taken the elevator down to the scanners and was stepping in one. He realized where he was just before he saw Aelita climb down the ladder and step into her own scanner. The doors closed and he was lifted up, and within seconds, Lyoko formed around him. He dropped down, falling to his knees. It had been so many years, and everything was rushing back to him. He felt Aelita kneel beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Zane, take as much time as you need, because I don't think you want to see this," Aelita said, her voice quivering. That made his curiosity peak and he glanced up. His face immediately paled and he knew they were in trouble.

He stood up slowly and stepped a bit in front of Aelita, ready to protect her. That had been his job after all. He was her last line of defense. "XANA, we meet again. It's been to long. And here I was thinking, and hoping, that I'd never see you again," Zane commented. Some guy stepped forward that Zane didn't recognize, and behind him was a Scyphozoa. He didn't know what XANA wanted, but whatever it was it wasn't good. No matter what, though, he wouldn't let them hurt Aelita. She was more important to him than anyone, at that moment. There was no way he was going to lose her twice.

_What does XANA want them to do? Is there something going on between Aelita and Zane? Will the others ever find out about Aelita's deal with XANA? Are Ulrich and Yumi ever going to get together? Find out next time!_


	7. Chapter 7 Suspicions

_I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry it took me forever to put this chapter up! I was off the computer for a good three weeks, and I had written about half of it before. I will try and do better next time. It would also really help if I had a lot more reviews to get me motivated. Tell me what you want to see and what I should change. I'm sorry it's so short. It took me a while, and this isn't the best chapter. Anyways, here ya go! Oh, and I own nothing of this, except the plot and Zane. _

Ch. 7

Aelita

She didn't figure that XANA would have found them this soon. It shot her hopes of just having an easy trip to Lyoko so that Zane could get familiar with everything. But unfortunately, XANA seemed to have other plans than that. What she didn't understand was what XANA wanted. Aelita was already in his clutches, forced to do whatever he wanted.

"William, to what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked him, noticing that Zane had protectively stood in front of her. Aelita knew that he would do anything to protect her, but for now, she needed him to relax. Based on his stance, he was still processing everything about Lyoko after having years away from here.

William stepped closer to her, and Zane moved towards him, but Aelita pulled him back. "I see you've brought our old friend, Zane Gray, back to Lyoko. And just in time, I've planned out my next attack. Of course, I still need you, so I won't be destroying you today, but I need to distract your friends," William said, his voice filled with pure hatred and evil. Aelita cringed at his every word, but she couldn't say anything back. XANA had her friends in his clutches, not to mention her, and so she didn't know what else to do.

Through clenched teeth, Aelita replied, "And what do you want me to do, XANA? Obviously you can distract them without my help." William laughed is stupid laugh, and walked towards them again.

"Aelita, Zane. I need you to distract your friends by keeping them busy. Keep Jeremy from his little computer and make sure that no one is suspicious. Also, I'll need you to come to Lyoko, tomorrow, say around midnight. Be here, or I'll be forced to activate the virus," William answered. Aelita felt her knees weaken, but she felt Zane grab her hand and lace their fingers. It wasn't a romantic gesture, but a gesture of comfort.

She couldn't speak, but luckily, Zane answered for her. "We'll do what we can. But if they end up stopping you, we can't do anything. I don't think you'd want to lose your little spies for a small mission, XANA," he spat.

William didn't say anything but he stepped up in front of Aelita. Zane squeezed her hand, but made no move. He had apparently remembered that they couldn't fight back, or Aelita and her friends would be hurt. "Aelita, my dear, how beautiful you are. It is a shame you won't submit to me. In time, we shall see. But for now, I expect you to distract them and do the best you can. I will be watching," he said. He turned to leave, but made one last comment. "Oh, and here is a Scyphozoa, don't try running away. Just submit. It won't take your memory, but what it does is for my benefit."

Aelita cringed at the memories of her past experiences with the monster but didn't move away. William disappeared in his black smoke, while the monster approached her, and she was lifted with its tentacles to her head. She felt it get inside her head, and within a minute, she blacked out.

The next thing she remembered was waking up in the scanners to Zane's face above her. He held out his hand to help her up, which she took gratefully, but collapsed in his arms. For the second time in a row of going to Lyoko, she came out unconscious and weak. Zane turned around and pulled her up on his back.

"What the hell happened back there, Aelita?" Zane asked as they made their way back through the factory. She leaned her head against his back and sighed.

"I have no idea. I blacked out after the Scyphozoa started through my mind. What happened after that?" Aelita asked.

Zane shrugged his shoulders. "I got taken out by another monster, so I have no idea. I stepped out of the scanners, and a few minutes later, yours opened. I'll kill XANA if he did anything to you. I've finally got you back, and I'm not going to lose my best friend twice," he said firmly. Aelita believed him, but within minutes she was asleep on his back.

When she woke up, they were outside the gates of the school. Zane seemed to hear that she was awake, because he set her down on the ground. Aelita stretched a bit, before glancing at her watch. She gasped, not realizing it was already midnight. "It is this late? How are we going to sneak back in?" she whispered to him.

Zane put his finger to his lips in a signal to be quiet. She nodded, and he led the way through the court yard, crawling on his knees. Aelita followed him, and within a few minutes they were in the bottom floor of the dorms.

Aelita smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, for coming with me. I've missed you," she whispered in his ear. Zane wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed her. They pulled apart and were about to go their separate ways, when Jim just had to come down the stairs.

"Ahem. Stones, why are you out so late? And who are you? I've never seen you here before," Jim said. Aelita couldn't believe her bad luck. A good day had turned into one of the worst.

"Jim, I'm sorry, I was showing Zane, the new student, around campus and we went out so I could show him around town. Zane is the new teachers son, so I wanted him to get acquainted with the town. I'm so sorry we're late, Jim, I promise it will never happen again," Aelita babbled. Jim sighed, and Aelita noticed the bags under his eyes. Aelita was hopeful he would be easier on them because he was tired.

"Detention, both of you, tomorrow morning, during breakfast. Grab your breakfast tomorrow within five minutes, and you can serve detention after that. I'm letting you off easy because you both are good students, or so I've heard," Jim said. He waved them off, and they practically ran up the stairs with one last glance at each other. Aelita ran to her bedroom and collapsed on her bed, ready for the day to be over.

Odd

Odd walked into his room with Ulrich after their amazing night and couldn't help but smile at how events had turned in his favor. Sure, she had rushed off and been completely mysterious, but at least the rest of the night had been wonderful. He fell down on his bed and sighed. Nothing could have made it better.

Ulrich's face appeared above his head and gave him a questioning look. Odd sat up and Ulrich sat across from him. "Ok, Mr. Sunshine, you've been doing that sighing thing since Aelita left and the smile hasn't left your face since then either. What's going on?" he questioned. Odd didn't know if he should tell him or not, but considering Ulrich was his best friend, he figured that would be ok. Besides, this would mean he won the bet, which meant no homework or cleaning for two weeks.

"I asked Aelita out today, and she said yes," Odd almost yelled. He was so excited and happy, and Ulrich looked shocked. "You know, that means I win the bet. And now you have to ask Yumi out as soon as you can, or I'll do it for you."

Ulrich groaned. "And here I was, getting ready to congratulate you, then you had to ruin it. Do I have to ask her out? I mean, can't I just-," he started, but Odd cut him off.

"No, you have to. Tomorrow. So start planning, Romeo, because it better be good since you have waited so long," he said, obviously taking great pleasure in his tormenting of his best friend. "Oh, and you'll have a lot of homework and cleaning too, since that was part of the deal." Ulrich fell back on his bed and groaned again. Odd just laughed and threw a pillow at him. "Get over it and turn off the lights."

The next day, Odd whistled all the way to breakfast, which was strange considering it was so early. But hey, he was going to see the most wonderful girl he could ever imagine, and nothing could be better than that. Even Ulrich was barely getting up for breakfast when Odd was out the door and on his way. Aelita just had that affect on him. When he got to the cafeteria, Aelita was already there, slowly eating her breakfast in front of a laptop. She didn't even notice that he came in, and so he came up behind her and put his hand over her eyes. "Guess who, princess!" he whispered in her ear.

She laughed. "Well…could it be Ulrich? No, Yumi. Oh wait, I know, Odd!" she squealed. He lifted his hands, and she closed her laptop when he sat down next to her. "Well aren't you here early. And whatever could be the reason for that?" He winked but didn't answer as he got up to go get a big helping of the breakfast. This was his favorite part about the two of them. They could be flirty and friendly, without really changing anything or being too open about it. He sat back down and the two of them talked for a good 20 minutes before the rest of the group came. They had been holding hands and Odd started to let go, but Aelita squeezed his hand and flashed him a smile.

Yumi came in first with Ulrich trailing behind her, consciously rubbing his hands through his hair. She gave Odd a wink when she saw his hand with Aelita's. He smiled at her and shrugged. He didn't know how he could get this lucky. Ulrich smiled at them but his shoulders sagged when Yumi wasn't looking. Odd couldn't help but laugh.

"So, Aelita, what was up with you running off last night?" Odd asked her.

She shrugged. "Like I said, I had homework I forgot about, and I needed to do it," she replied. He thought that was strange, seeing as Aelita was usually the responsible one in this pair, but hey, everyone deserves a break sometimes.

"Look at me! The slacker actually got his homework done while the perfect princess didn't!" Odd exclaimed poking her in the sides. She giggled, and looked back to their friends who had just sat down at their table. "So, Ulrich, got anything _special_ planned for today?"

Ulrich's head snapped up and he shot daggers at Odd. "Nothing yet, besides boring school," he said through clenched teeth. Odd chuckled and shrugged. He probably shouldn't push his best friend as much, or something really bad could happen to him.

Just then, Aelita's phone beeps, and she gets a weird look on her face, before she stands up. "Sorry guys, got an emergency. I'll see you at lunch," she told them. She gave Odd's hand a quick squeeze before bolting out the door in a flash. That's twice in two days. Was he just wearing bad cologne?

Aelita

Breakfast had been really great, especially holding Odd's hand throughout it, but then she got a text. Zane had said to meet her outside of the cafeteria right away, so it must be something urgent. She ran out of there as quickly as possible and he was waiting right where they had met the day before.

"Hey, Zane, what's the problem? Something with XANA?" Aelita asked, keeping her voice low. He didn't look up at her, but kept staring at the ground, shaking his head.

"No, well, maybe with XANA. This morning, I woke up, and started to get ready, but something happened, and I started having like a seizure kind of thing. The room and my body glowed yellow, and all of the sudden, it stopped. Then, XANA's symbol popped up on my computer screen. Care to tell me what that's all about?" he asked, obviously shaken up by the experience.

Aelita sighed. So he had been infected by the virus too. "You've been infected by a virus. The same virus XANA has threatened my friends with, and also me. That was probably just letting you know you have it, that XANA has control of you," she said. Aelita could have shot herself. How could she have forgotten that he could have been infected with the virus by going into Lyoko? "It's my fault, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been so stupid to think that you wouldn't be infected." She turned to the wall that was behind her, and started to punch it.

Zane grabbed her hand, holding her back. "It's not your fault. You didn't know that I would be. Besides, we'll find a way out of this. There has to be a code or something to get it out of us, and we'll find it. We still have half an hour before class starts, so why don't we get started?" he asked. She nodded, and he pulled her towards the dorms. They talked on the way there, and Aelita felt a little bit better by the time they got to his dorm. She walked in for the second time and sat down, pulling his laptop open.

Aelita glanced up and felt hope that they could do this. Together.

Yumi

"Odd, what was up with her?" she asked, her eyes following Aelita out of the cafeteria. She glanced back to the goofball that was her friend who shrugged.

"Lately, she's been more mysterious than ever. I have no doubt that she'll be back to normal soon, but it's been a tough couple of days for her," Odd replied, but he was obviously more worried than he let on. Yumi stood up, and went out of the cafeteria only to see Aelita leaving with some guy. She didn't want to be a snoop, but this was her best friend, and she couldn't just leave this alone, so Yumi followed her up to this guys room.

She waited down the hall for almost 20 minutes before they came back out. Yumi saw her wave good-bye, and then Aelita came down the hall, right past her. "Aelita, who was that?" Yumi questioned accusingly. She didn't want to be rude, but at the same time, she didn't want any of her friends to be hurt.

"That is the new guy, Zane. I was showing him around yesterday, and then, he asked me to help him with something today," Aelita told her. Yumi stared at her, but found that Aelita wasn't lying. That made her feel bad that she had just assumed something was going on. Aelita wasn't that kind of person, and everyone knew that.

"Oh, ok, well I had wanted to make sure you were ok. You've been acting really strange lately," Yumi responded smiling at her friend.

Aelita's face dropped for a second but then the smile returned. "I've just been tired that's all. But hey, we'll worry about that later. Let's get to class before we are late," she told her, starting out the door. Yumi nodded and followed after her.


	8. Sorry!

So, I'm sorry this isn't an update, but I'm just telling you now. I'm going to be taking a bit off from this story. I'm focusing mainly on one story. I WILL continue this. I can't stress that enough. But I feel like I should finish one story and then continue with my others. If I got enough complaints or anything to say that I should continue with this right away, I will simply delete this and write another chapter. But I'm trying to make each of my chapters pretty long, and that takes a while. I just figured I should tell you. So, in review:

1. I am continuing this story, but I'm taking a short break.

2. If I got enough reviews I would simply continue with this earlier than I would have.


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